HOLLIDAY GRAINGER

With roles in Cinderella, My Cousin Rachel and Bonnie & Clyde, Holliday Grainger, 29, adds another “period-piece” role in Tulip Fever, in theaters Aug. 25. She plays Maria, the maid to a woman (Alicia Vikander) who begins a passionate affair with a poor artist (Dane DeHaan) during the tulip mania of 17th-century Amsterdam, when prices of tulip bulbs reached extraordinarily high levels and then collapsed.

What impressed you about the story? There were so many different levels of society, from the rich guy all the way down to the fishmonger and the struggling artist. In that respect, Amsterdam felt like a contemporary, cosmopolitan city.

What about Maria did you relate to? She is unswaying in her morals. I think Maria is one of the only characters with solidity and earthiness that feels a bit of a grounding in the midst of this mad story.

Which of your roles have you enjoyed the most? I just loved Bonnie Parker in Bonnie & Clyde [2013], because she was such good fun and she was so sassy. Playing Bonnie, I felt like I had such confidence.

You’re going to co-star as Robin in Strike, the

BBC series based on detective novels by J.K. Rowling. Were you a Rowling fan? I grew up reading Harry Potter; I am such a massive fan. She creates such strong, believable worlds.

How up close and personal did she have to get with a chicken for Tulip Fever? Go to Parade.com/grainger to find out.